Lady Macbeth seems to be a very powerful character based on the first two Acts of the play, Macbeth. She lacks compassion but yet readers still wish for her to succeed, for that reason she is very unique. She gets what she desires by manipulating and deceiving other characters. Firstly, Lady Macbeth is a highly perseverant and proactive individual. She enjoys taking control to advance in life rather than to let situations occur themselves. This is prevalent when she states “that i may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue” meaning she will persuade Macbeth to assassinate the King Duncan even though he is very kind. She has a craving for power and when she hears Macbeth might become King, she will do anything to receive that position. Also when Macbeth tells her that he cannot kill Duncan she provokes him by calling him a coward and not manly. This is how Lady Macbeth controls him to do what she desires. …show more content…
In her opening scene she chants "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here" in hope that evil spirits will arrive to destroy her femininity qualities and receive the brute of man, to feel no remorse. In another scene, she states that she would slaughter a baby even if it is smiling at her to prove that she keeps her promises. This dramatically displays what kind of ruthless character she is because no sane person would ever speak this way. Also when Macbeth has finished killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth seemed to have no emotion and thought logical throughout the whole process. For example, when Macbeth was anxious about murdering the King while still having blood covered on his hands, she was calm and told him to wash his
Lady Macbeth has a greater control on Macbeth’s actions than any other character in Macbeth apart from the Weïrd Sisters. She is well known for her persuading speeches to her husband, convincing him to fulfill the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth’s manly qualities, and informs him that only when he follows through with the murder that
Lady Macbeth is also one of the main characters that have some of the control throughout the beginning and middle of the play. In the play when we first meet her she already sets the plot by controlling Macbeth into killing king Duncan. She is much stronger, has more ambition, and is ruthless. She pushes Macbeth to commit complaining the lack of a man he is. At that point she wishes she wasn’t a woman so she can commit the murder herself. The theme of Lady Macbeth character is control and gender; she has more of a male soul trapped in a female body. As it explains in the line in the play “undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males” (1.7.73–74). Lady Macbeth makes her husband with control, overriding all his objections; when he thinks twice about murdering Duncan. What she says makes Macbeth think twice and go forward with her advice she bullies him. If it weren’t for her controlling aggression would Duncan still have
A powerful speaker is required to convince someone to commit murder, and it seems Lady Macbeth is that and more. Many people will claim she is possessed and that is why she tries to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan, but a closer look at the text will reveal her greed. In Act I scene v Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband announcing his recent promotion (Shakespeare 256). Lady Macbeth immediately is not content with this new found power but jumps right into contemplating murder. This is not a sign of possession by something dark, but a stark insight into the character of Lady Macbeth. In the same letter Macbeth calls his wife his ‘dearest partner in greatness’ which shows how different and out spoken Lady Macbeth must be from other women of her day (Shakespeare 256). This was not a common endearment in the days of Lady Macbeth and shows that Macbeth values her opinion. This could be a blessing or in this case a curse seeing how twisted Lady Macbeth’s character seems. During the next three scenes Lady Macbeth shows her overbearing personality when constantly convincing her husband it is a good idea to murder Duncan (Shakespeare 258-66) Macbeth, unlike many men of his time, is quite fickle in his thought. Lady Macbeth with h...
When Macbeth finds out about the witches prophecies, he quickly sends a letter to Lady Macbeth explaining the situation. She rapidly sees that she must help Macbeth become king, so she says “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness /To catch the nearest way. /Thou wouldst be great,/ Art not without ambition, but without/ The illness should attend it. (1.5.15-20). Right away, Lady Macbeth is going to do everything she possibly can to ensure he becomes king which proves her ambition. Later on in the play, Lady Macbeth makes another decision which shows that her ambition is quickly getting the worst out of her. When King Duncan arrives, Lady Macbeth sees a perfect opportunity to kill Duncan. She is worried that Macbeth will not go through with the plan so she says ¨When Duncan is asleep—/Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey/ Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains/Will I with wine and wassail so convince¨ (1.7.61-65). Lady Macbeth reveals that her need for power is taking a turn. She plots to get the “two chamberlains” drunk so she can blame the murder of Duncan on them. The fact that she plots out an entire plan to kill Duncan and that she is willing to blame it on someone else reveals that her ambition has brought out the worst in her.. All in all, Lady Macbeth is a character who does not second
On the level of human evil, Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth is about the character Macbeth's bloody rise to power, including the murder of the Scottish king, Duncan, and the guilt-ridden pathology of evil deeds generating still more evil deeds. Perhaps, the play's most memorable character is Lady Macbeth. Like her husband, Lady Macbeth's ambition for power leads her into an unnatural, phantasmagoric realm of witchcraft, insomnia and madness. But while Macbeth responds to the prophecies of the play's famous trio of witches, Lady Macbeth goes even further by figuratively transforming herself into an unnatural, desexualized evil spirit.
Throughout the play until her death, Lady Macbeth reveals the many sides of her character. When the audience is first introduced to her, she is seen as murderous, calculating and highly ambitious; yet, as the play develops she exposes a more feminine and humane side. Her complex character and strong ambition drive the play forward, giving rise to dramatic tension and engaging the audience's imaginations through the imagery, language and emotion of her role. The audience will wonder whether she, indeed. is wholly evil.
Like the witches, Lady Macbeth uses carefully chosen words to exert control over Macbeth. However, whereas the witches’ intentions were unclear, it is clear to see that greed and ambition are the reason for her actions. Lady Macbeth seems to have a large amount of influence over Macbeth, which she uses to her advantage. Lady Macbeth uses her relationship with Macbeth and plays on his emotions in order to exert control over him.
On the other hand, Lady Macbeth's views on manhood are much different from her husband's and the other characters in the play. Unlike Macbeth, Lady Macbeth envisions a man to be opportunist, cruel and ruthless instead of honorable and loyal. When she receives the letter from Macbeth and learns of her chance to be queen, she prays that the spirits "that tend on mortal thoughts [would] unsex [her]", and that she will be "fill[ed] from the crown to the toe of direst cruelty", so that she would have the strength to murder Duncan. Believing the spirits would "unsex" her, she hopes that she wouldn't be bothered by a woman's kindness or remorse and thus would become a cruel killer, like a man.
In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is overly whelmed by the letter she receives about Macbeth. This pushes her to the extreme and causes her to react outrageously. " Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here…make thick my blood…take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers…come thick night." (I;v;40-50) All these images of darkness and horror reveal the true character of Lady Macbeth; she feels the need to become wicked. Her attitude is even more horrific when she calls on evil spirits to come and possess her, taking control of her actions. This sort of behavior causes the audience and reader to assume Lady Macbeth is a psychopath, and therefore would have reason to hold her responsible for having a major impact on her husband and driving him off, enlightening a twisted sinister and threatening dark side of him.
Lady Macbeth is by far the total opposite of what a Shakespearian woman is supposed to be. She is bold, ambitious, ruthless, cold hearted, vicious and manipulative. A true woman of the Elizabethan era would be humble stand by he husband and take care of the house and would not resemble any of the things that lady Macbeth resembles. All of her actions and decisions prove her to be different from woman of that time. Lady Macbeth is truly unique and an epic character in literature that will always be remembered for how ruthless and different from a true Shakespearian woman really was suppose to be.
a great person. As the King could do nothing, this play can tell us. that evil fate is indestructible. Lady Macbeth is the sinful icon that crystallises her character. development, which improves the Macbeth story to keep us focused.
The character of Lady Macbeth is a complex one, there is much that can be said regarding the juxtaposition of ideas concerning her behavior. Within this essay I shall attempt to elaborate on her forceful, selfish and contradictory character.
In the story of Macbeth the character Macbeth is portrayed as an honest and trustworthy man. In the beginning of the story Macbeth meets three witches that tell him that he will be the Thane of Cowdar and eventually become King. Essentially Macbeth does not believe this and ignores it. Macbeth tells his wife about the series of events with the witches and his wife begins Macbeth’s quest for all power. In the story Lady Macbeth is the force that provokes Macbeth to commit all of these evil deeds. In the story it is easily noticeable that Macbeth can be convinced to do just about anything, but after he is no longer being convinced to do these acts it is realized that Macbeth has a lust for power, a quest for blood, and a weak mindset.
Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.
The struggle for power and control in Macbeth is present from the very beginning, as Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a ruthless, overpowering woman who dominates her husband and his actions. She makes Macbeth's decisions for him without giving him any say in his own actions, and she orders her husband to do what she determines to be best for him. It is Lady Macbeth who contrives the plan to kill King Duncan, because she knows that Macbeth would never commit such an act on his own without her prodding. She develops the plan and organizes the details while expecting Macbeth to merely follow her orders. This becomes evident when she says to him, "Only look up clear,"(1.5.70) and "leave the rest to me"(1.5.72). She intends to keep him under her control by making decisions for him and not allowing him to think for himself.